Rialto Chatter: Could Bryan Cranston Get Mad As Hell in NETWORK on Broadway?

Best known on Broadway for his Tony Award-winning turn as Lyndon B. Johnson in the political drama, All the Way, actor Bryan Cranston is currently getting mad as hell and winning raves for his portrayal of news anchor, Howard Beale, in the stage adaptation of the classic film Network.

But could the Emmy winning actor possibly bring the production to Broadway? Sources think so.

Plans to transfer the production are currently being discussed, however, folks close to the play tell Michael Riedel of the New York Post that Cranston is hesitant to commit to a Broadway schedule due to the intensity of his performance.

A source tells Riedel, "it's sensational and could be a real winner here if Cranston does it."

Network depicts a dystopian media landscape where opinion trumps fact. Hilarious and horrifying by turns, the iconic film by Paddy Chayefsky won four Academy Awards in 1976. Now, Lee Hall (Billy Elliot, Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour) and director Ivo van Hove(Hedda Gabler) bring his masterwork to the stage for the first time.

Howard Beale, news anchorman, isn't pulling in the viewers. In his final broadcast he unravels live on screen. But when the ratings soar, the network seize on their newfound populist prophet, and Howard becomes the biggest thing on TV.

Network runs until March 24 at the National Theatre. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/shows/network.

Photo Credit: Jan Versweyveld